Historic plantation home tours in williamsburg, virginia
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Charles City County in Virginia is home to five historic plantations known collectively as the James River Plantations. Thirty minutes from the colonial capital of Williamsburg, these plantations survived the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812 and the War Between the States, according to the James River Plantations' website. The homes are listed in the National Register of Historic Properties, and four of them are open to the public to enjoy through guided and self-guided tours.
Sherwood Forest Plantation
Sherwood Forest Plantation, built in 1720, went through several owners before 10th U.S. President John Tyler bought it in 1842. He lived in Sherwood Forest Plantation for 20 years until his death in 1862. Amazingly, descendants of President Tyler have lived in the home continuously since the President bought it. A visit to this plantation will show you what life was like in the mid-19th century for the family of a U.S. president. The plantation includes 25 acres of gardens and lawns, and the original outbuildings are still present, making it one of the most complete plantation yards left in the country, according to the Sherwood Forest website.
Sherwood Forest Plantation
14501 John Tyler Memorial Hwy
Charles City, VA 23030
804-829-5377
Sherwoodforest.org
Westover
William Byrd, III, the founder of Richmond, Virginia, built Westover in 1730. Visitors come to Westover for its impressive gardens and period architectural details, not to mention its secret passages. According to the Westover website, the home is one of the most outstanding examples of Georgian architecture in the country, with an uncommonly steep roof and chimneys in pairs on both ends of the home. History buffs will love to hear about the passageways that lead from the ice house, just east of the home, to the river. These passageways served as a means of escape from marauding Indians.
Westover
7000 Westover Rd
Charles City, VA 23030
804-829-2882
jamesriverplantations.org
Shirley Plantation
Shirley Plantation is noteworthy for the fact that 11 generations of the same family have owned and operated this colonial plantation, making it the oldest family-owned business in North America. It also has the distinction of being Virginia's first plantation, founded in 1623. According to the Shirley Plantation website, the home survived Indian battles, the American Revolution, the Civil War, and the Great Depression. A tour of the home features original family furnishings, silver items and architectural details such as the "Flying Staircase" and the Queen Anne Forecourt.
Shirley Plantation
501 Shirley Plantation Road
Charles City, VA 23030
804-829-5121
shirleyplantation.com
Berkeley Plantation
As the site of the first Thanksgiving in America in 1619, Berkeley Plantation is Virginia's most historic plantation. Along with that event, the plantation was also the birthplace of the 9th U.S. President William Henry Harrison and Declaration of Independence signer Benjamin Harrison V. The Georgian mansion sits on a hilltop overlooking the James River, and the rooms in the home are complete with beautiful 18th century antiques. The grounds around the home are even more historic than the house, as the original landscapers dug the terraced gardens by hand prior to the Revolutionary War.
Berkeley Plantation
12602 Harrison Landing Road
Charles City, VA 23030
804-829-6018
berkeleyplantation.com
Tags: Charles City, Sherwood Forest, Shirley Plantation, Charles City 23030, City 23030, Forest Plantation, Sherwood Forest PlantationSource: www.ehow.com
